Shoe and method of manufacture



Dec. 4, 1934.

SHOE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE Filed Nov. 4, 1931 flvvEvm m n h M G. CLARKE ET AL 1,982,725 I Patented Dec. 4, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1,982,725 SHOE AND NIETHOD OF MANUFACTURE 7 poration of New Jersey Application November 4, 1931, Serial No. 572,985 In Great Britain December 8, 1930 13 Claims. (01. 12-146) This invention relates to a method of stiffening portions of the uppers of boots and shoes, particularly adapted to the manufacture of shoes in which the stiffener or stiffening material in the finished shoe is in contact with the foot of the wearer; and to the shoe which results from the practice of the method.

In the manufacture of some types of unlined shoes, for example, stitchdown shoes, it is desirable to stiffen the toe portion of the uppers there of, Inasmuch, however, as any stiffening substance or stiffening member is more or less in contact with the foot of the wearer of such a shoe, it is desirable that the substance or member 15 should be firmly bonded to the inner face of the upper, that it should project as little as possible from said face and that its exposed surface should be smooth.

According to the method of the present invention such desirable results are secured by applying to the inner face of the toe portion, or other selected portion, of the upper, a coating orv layer of or containing a stiffening substance rendered soft and pliable by reason of the presence of a solvent for said substance, and preferably protected by a guard layer of flimsy material which is not soluble in said solvent. This guard may be torn outif desired as soon as the stiffening material has hardened or may be torn out later by the wearer if it becomes frayed or loosened.

There is thus produced a shoe in which the stiffening, although next to the foot of the wearer, will remain firmly in place.

. Referring to the accompanying drawing in which different procedures are illustrated,

Fig. 1 shows the toe portion of a last with the toe portion of an upper thereon ready to be lasted, the inner face of the upper having a coating or layer of celluloid paste oven which is a guard 40 layer of Cellophane;

' Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a compositeblank which may be substituted for the paste and Cellophane of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-section of another composite blank.

In all of the figures the thicknesses of the parts have been exaggerated in order to show the parts more clearly.

According to one convenient procedure (Fig-1) the leather upper 3 of a shoe made without a lining, just prior to being assembled with its last 5 and a sole preparatory to sewing the two shoe parts together in the usual manner, has the inner surface of the toe end of the upper coated with a layer 7 of a high concentration solution of low parchmentized paper or thin flimsy sheet of cellulosic material of a nature which is unaffected by the solvent in. the solution above referred to, for example, Cellophane or other cellulosic film made by the viscose process.

Sewing of the sole and upper together may be proceeded with in the usual way after'the parts have been assembled, and the guard layer will prevent the stiffening material from adhering to the toe end of the last and will at the same time serve to confine the stiffening material to the area where it is required. After the shoe has been sewn, the last may be removed and when the toe has hardened sufficiently the guard layer, or the main part of it, may be removed from the interior layer will usually become fastened in with the upper to the sole margin. In such instance .the layer may be severed along the line where it touches the sole by running some sharp edged instrument around inside the toe of the completed shoe, andthe main part of the guarding layer thus severed 'then readily drawn out of the shoe in one piece.

Instead of using the stiffening material above indicated there-may be employed (Fig. 2) a layer 11 of fibrous cellulosic material soluble in volatile solvent which has been reduced to a gelatinous state or is so reduced while in contact with the toe end of the upper. .For example, usemay be made of a piece of so-called Celanese, a fabric made of fibres or threads of.cellulose acetate which may be reduced to a gelatinous condition by treatment with acetone, as described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,720,795, granted July 16, 1929 upon an application filed in the names of 1 William J. Lund and Lucien P. Mellerio. Such a layer of material will preferably be held under pressure for a short while in contact with the inner surface of the toe end of the upper before the latter is assembled upon its last, and the temporary guard layer 9, of parchmentized paper, Cellophane or the like may be applied to the layer before it is thus subjected to pressure. This procedure, however, may be varied. For examme, a stiffener may be made up of a stiffener plied to the inner surface of the toe end; of an upper should consist solely of a quantity of material in a liquid semiliquid or pasty form or be wholly reducible to such form before the lasting of the shoe. The stiffening (Fig. 3) may embody a textile or similar blank 13 if desired, and so long as it is pliable at the time the upper is conformed to the shape of the last and the blank is heavily coated on both sides with material 15 that will set to. a coherent smooth film encasing the blank and bonding itself securely to the leather of the upper, the main desiderata will be obtained.

It is of importance that the physical and chemical characters of the surface at least of the guard should be such as to allow the guard to be withdrawn cleanly from the surface which it has been protecting. A Cellophane film with its highly glazed surface and used with its surface somewhat moist, having thereon a film of moisture, is well suited for this purpose when a solventsoftened cellulosic material, such as celluloid or cellulose acetate textile, is used as the stiffening substance. The use of a guard layer having a glazed surface is generally conducive to easy withdrawal of the guard layer, and leaves a smooth surface upon the stiffening material. It is not necessary that the guard layer be withdrawn before the shoe is worn, so long as it is made of fiimsy material and of a nature to be easily torn as a whole, or so far as needed in shreds, cleanly out of the shoe if the layer becomes ruptured in wear and in spite of its fiimsiness any part thus loosened becomes objectionable to the wearer.

There is thus provided a shoe in which the stiffening'member or substance will not stick to the last when the shoe is removed therefrom and, is so firmly bonded to the shoe that subsequent contact with the foot of the wearer will not displace it.

Although the invention has been set forth by Way of example as related to an unlinedshoe having a stiffened toe portion and a particular procedure for manufacturing such a shoe, it should be understood that the invention is not limited in the scope of its application to the particular procedures or shoe which have been described.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. The method of stiffening portions of the uppers of shoes which comprises applying to a selected portion of the upper part of a shoe, which would otherwise come into contact with the foot of the wearer, a stiffening substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, applying over the stiffening substance a guard layer made of a substance which is insoluble inthe solvent and. will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, and lasting the shoe while the stiffening substance is pliable. r

2. The method of stiffening portions of the uppers of shoes which comprises applying to a blank out from a sheet of knitted "Celanese fabric selected portion of the upper part of a shoe, which would otherwise come into contact with the foot of the wearer, a stiffening substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, applying over the stiffening substance a guard layer made ofv a substance which is insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, lasting the shoe while the stiffening substance is pliable, and subsequently removing the guard layer.-

3. The method of stiffening-portions of the uppers of shoes which comprises applying to the inner face of a selected portion of the upper part of a shoe a stiffening substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, applying over the stiffening substance a guard layer made of a substance which is insoluble in the solvent and will not'adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, and lasting the shoe while the stiffening substance is pliable.

4. The method of stiffening portions of the uppers of shoes which comprises applying to the inner face of a selected portion of the upper part of a shoe a stiffening substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent applying. over the stiffening substance a guard layer made of a substance which is insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, lasting the shoe while the stiffening substance is pliable and subsequently removing the guard layer.

5. The method of stiffening the toe portions of uppers of unlined shoes which comprises applying to the inner face of the toe portion of an upper a stiffening substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence in it of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, applying over the layer of stiffening substance a guard layer made of a substance which is insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, and completing the manufacture of the shoe.

6. The method of stiffening the toe portionspf uppers of unlined shoes which comprises applying to the inner face of the toe portion of an upper a stiffening. substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence in it of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation ,of the solvent, applying over the layer of stiffening substance a guard layer made of a substance which is insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, completing the manufacture of the shoe and subsequently removing the guard layer.

7. The method of stiffening portions of uppers of unlined shoes which comprise coating the inner face of a selected portion of an upper with a stiffening substance softened by a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, covering the substance with a guard made of a substance which is substantially insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, and completing the manufacture of the shoe.

8. The method of stiffening portions of uppers the solvent, covering the substance with a guard made of a substance which is substantially insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, completing the manufacture of the shoe and subsequently removing the guard.

9. The method of stiffening portions of the uppers of unlined, shoes which comprises locating upon the inner face of a selected portion of the upper a fibrous blank, fibres of which are made of a stiffening substance, softening the fibres by means of a solvent, covering the blank with a guard made of a substance which is substantially insoluble in the solvent, and completing the manufacture of the shoe.

10. The method of stiffening portions of the uppers of unlined shoes which comprises locating upon the inner face of a selected portion of the upper a fibrous blank coated on both faces with a stiffening substance which is in a soft and pliable condition by reason of the presence of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, covering the blank with a guard which is substantially insoluble in the solvent and will not adhere firmly to the hardened stiffening substance, and completing the manufacture of the shoe.

11. The method of stiffening portions of the uppers of unlined shoes which comprises applying to a selected portion of the inner face of the upper a stiffening substance normally hard and 13. The method of stiffening the toe portion of the upper of an unlined stitch-down shoe which comprises applying to the inner face of said portion a stiffening substance which is soft and pliable by reason of the presence of a solvent but will become stiff and hard upon evaporation of the solvent, placing over the stiffening substance a guard layer which will not adhere firmly to the hardened substance, completing the manufacture of the shoe including stitching to the sole the out-turned margin of the upper and the outturned margin of the guard layer and subsequently tearing out the main portion of the guard layer which is inside the shoe, leaving between the out-turned toe portion of the upper' and the sole a remnant of said guard layer.

GEORGE CLARKE. WILLIAM JACKSON LUND. 

